Happened the day before we left on vacation, so we had to rent a car to get to the airport.
I was at fault and caused a 3 car accident in which no one was hurt, luckily.
Pulled out of a side road where I had stopped directly into the path of an oncoming car on a major highway, so both cars were totalled. A van travelling in the opposite direction was “clipped” on the rear-end by my “victim”.
I can’t explain what happened. I don’t know if I “blanked out” (which sometimes happenxs to me these days) and thought the way was clear, but due to my dementia, I have decided my driving days are completely over.
I was only going 1 1/2 miles to take our trash, and have never had a chargeable accident in my life, but this time I was charged with failure to yield right of way.
We went to the car at the lot where it was parked, and I honestly don’t know how I survived it other than the airbags. The other driver had damage to her front end, but both cars were totalled. I dream about that wreck.
We have complete coverage, so D will get a settlement, but she really loved that car and I feel badly about wrecking it.
That sucks, Quasi. I’m sorry, yet relieved that nobody was hurt. Most accidents happen close to home, I’ve read (but have no cite), because we’re in an area we know very well, and we just go into an automatic drive state.
Maybe this doesn’t mean the end to your driving days.
I think your first instinct of calling the end of your driving days is the right one - “blanking out” while driving is a Bad Thing. I’m glad no one was hurt (including you, Quasi!).
Ditto. Thank goodness nobody was injured! You (and the other drivers / passengers) will be feeling pretty sore for a few days - if you can take ibuprofen (Advil etc.) or another NSAID, I’d recommend doing so.
It’s amazing the wrecks we can survive uninjured these days, vs. 50ish years ago. Seatbelts and airbags DO save lives. We walked away from a head-on collision in 1993, as did the other car’s driver and passenger, because of seatbelts (made for a hell of a memorable 10th anniversary party, for sure!!).
I’m glad you are off the road before killing someone or a bus load of kids.
If you knew you could blank out, you were not legal to drive. Your doctor should have notified the DMV. It was totally reckless for you to be at the wheel of an unmanned missile.
Maybe I’m in denial, Quasi. It sounds just like the accident one of my sisters-in-law had years ago. She said she was thinking about work and lost track of what she was doing. She was 36 at the time. So maybe, dear friend, I was looking for other explanations than the EOA for you.
Take good care of yourself and of each other.
You’re just being your usual kind self, Mood, and I appreciate it, but I’ve been thinking of nothing but how lucky we all were that I didn’t kill someone ever since that day.
Let me guess, Quasi, the only thing not injured was the bag of trash?
Glad everyone turned out no worse for the wear and also that you recognize the impermanent nature of our limits. Fortunately, changes can be made to our schedules and activities, they’re far more malleable than auto sheet metal. Thanks for taking steps to insure one’s activities have only a positive impact on others. Be well.
You are very wise, knowing that you should never drive again. My father had dementia, and the most difficult thing was getting him to stop driving. He kept insisting that it’s legal to turn left at a red light (:eek:), so we were lucky that he didn’t cause any accidents.
If you think about it, it’s got to do with statistics. Yeah, I hate math but a friend and I were discussing the exact same thing–how accidents are generally near home and she had an answer I’ve always remembered.
You drive from home (point A) to wherever (point B) and you eventually come home (point A). Soooooo you are in the vicinity of point A TWICE as often as you are in the vicinity of point B so you are 50% more likely to have an accident near home.
Thank goodness you and everyone else walked away from this accident. My husband and kids were hit head on by someone having a seizure. Was controlled right up until the seizure she had that day. Everyone was ok, but pretty scary.
IvoryTowerDenizen – that’s why I will never drive. My seizures are under control, but I will not take the risk of that happening. Epilepsy is too unpredictable.
Glad to hear you’re all right, dude – you’re very lucky. It sucks not being able to drive, I know. What’s the busing like in your area?
In some states, it is actually legal to turn left on red. (I know it is in PA)
Sounds like my grandfather – he doesn’t suffer from dementia, but he just wasn’t capable of it anymore. His reflexes were shot, he kept getting into accidents, and his seizures just keep getting more and more frequent. (He’s in a nursing home now and I’ll bet he STILL thinks he could manage to drive!)
And my grandfather never WAS that great of a driver to begin with. (He drove like a teenage boy his entire life)
